The Songfactor's Choice Top Albums of the Decade: The '90's

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It started out when somebody asked what should be the next topic and I suggested Rolling Stones songs. It quickly evolved into a thread hi-jack.

(I still say it would be a good conversational topic that would gain some attention on the front page)

Edit: Sorry, that was Carole being cranky, nothing personal.

I'm in complete argeement as far as the Stones as a topic goes, you are absolutely right about the attention it would get, and comments it would promote. As long as the majority are agreeable. Consider it on the list for consideration.

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New guy, first post. I hope you all will check out these two incredible albums from the 1990s that, in a perfect world, would be near the top of the "Best Albums of the 1990s" lists:

"Spilt Milk" by Jellyfish (1993)

"Donâ€™t be fooled by the year of release and the cover art â€“ Jellyfishâ€™s second and final album, Spilt Milk, has little to do with grunge. Primarily power-pop but spanning a whole range of musical genres, its remarkably textured production and catchy melodies were criminally overlooked by a music press swept away by Pearl Jam and Nirvana."

From AllMusic.com's review: "Dreamy vocal harmonies, circus-like swirling organ passages, and crunchy guitars are layered in a manner that evokes the best of the Beatles and the Beach Boys." And "Spilt Milk is a flawless pop gem".

Tom Hibbert (AP) named it one of the three best albums of 1993 in an article from December '93. Amazon.com's star rating average shows a solid 5 stars.

"Jellyfish had a huge cult following when they were around, and then posthumous credibility has just grown unbelievably. They're like a Big Star." - Kevin Flaherty (Dir. A&R at EMI)

From an Amazon reviewer:

"It is only a matter of time before the grungy, negative haze that was 90s rock and has morphed in to Nu-Metal falls out of fashion and people realize that in the angst driven fuzz of Nirvana, a truly brilliant American band was overlooked. The band was Jellyfish and their two albums of pop bliss will one day reach a level of cult respectability not seen since Big Star, the early 70s power-pop group that was re-discovered in the late-80s and finally given some respect.

They did record 2 albums worth of pop gems, meticulously crafted to the point where they were too good for their own good. The music was far too polished and happy for the grunge wave that hit just as they were getting started. Jellyfish was definitely a band in the right musical place at the wrong time.

It is too bad that things appealing to the lowest common denominator usually succeed in this world, but it is wonderful to know things as beautiful as Jellyfish can still exist, even if only a few people are lucky enough to experience them. If you love the Beatles, XTC, the Beach Boys, Cheap Trick and/or Queen (in other words, good pop/rock), you must listen to Jellyfish. You'll be glad you did."

"Modern Progressive Rock has gone unnoticed in America for too long, and has resulted in the neglection of epic, classic, and unbelieveably great bands like Porcupine Tree and Opeth. Sure, the privileged few actually listen to Porcupine Tree and Opeth in America, but for the most part, if you went up to a rock fan in America and asked them to name a song by Porcupine Tree or Opeth, they'd point and laugh at the name Porcupine Tree, and try to make up some song for Opeth. Why is this? Is American rock just that negligent to good music that the best stuff goes unnoticed? But what really boggles my mind is why Stupid Dream was Porcupine Tree's breakout hit in England, and their best selling album, while Porcupine Tree was utterly ignored here in America.

I'd put Porcupine Tree on the same level as Progressive Rock legends Pink Floyd, Rush, and Yes. They are that good. Stupid Dream, is in retrospective, Porcupine Tree's Dark Side of the Moon. This was their first their breakout album, and it was highly progressive and psychedelic, just like Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. The songs flow together, they are heavily psychedelic, rhythm-driven, and all hold their own in the end. From the beginning, the album kicks off with a bang with Even Less, which is an incredible, progressive epic that is one of the best openers to an album of all time. Or, of course there's the catchy, upbeat, psychedelic Piano Lessons to please your musical tastes, or there's the solemn, lonely Don't Hate Me. There's something for everyone on Stupid Dream, as the songs are varied, different, and all hold their own with their unique, different musical styles and tempos."

From an Amazon reviewer: "As you can tell by all the other reviews, England's Porcupine Tree are a bit difficult to describe. Are they psychedelia? Progressive rock? Pop? A little of all of those, actually. Up until now they've been content to seamlessly mix elements of every era of Pink Floyd (Syd Barrett, Roger Waters, post-Waters) with electronic touches, but this is the first album where extended instrumental passages and trippy ambience take a backseat to actual songs. And what songs they are: "This is No Rehearsal," "Even Less" and "Piano Lessons" are right up there with the best rock songs of '99, or even the '90s in general."

"It's hard to compare PT's albums because they are all so brilliant, but this is their best in my opinion. All of the music here is brilliant in every aspect; I don't think these guys could have made it any better than this. This gets my vote for greatest pop album and greatest album of the nineties. Sheer brilliance."